Jake Price's Cheltenham Trials Day & Doncaster Tips

PUSH THE BUTTON – 12:05 CHELTENHAM – Novices’ Handicap Chase (Class 2) – 2m4½f – 1pt WIN

Best odds 11/2 available at time of publishing.

This is a competitive Novices’ Handicap Chase as is usually the case, and it has often ended up being a good pointer towards the Cheltenham Festival too. The one who I think can follow in a similar trajectory to those that have come before him is PUSH THE BUTTON, as he is a horse who looks very nicely treated by the handicapper.

This 7yo was with Nigel Twiston-Davies last season in a campaign which culminated with a sixth-place finish behind Wodhooh in the Martin Pipe, but Mark Walford took a leap of faith in purchasing him for £105,000 at Doncaster in May. He was instantly rewarded at Carlisle in October however, as on Chase debut he was a good winner over Ruby Island and odds-on favourite Tellherthename.

Stepping into handicap company off a mark of 134 at Wetherby a month later, he once again ran a big race – this time when only beaten half-a-length by Meetmebythesea (139). That Ben Pauling rival was in receipt of 6lbs that day when accounting for Callum Pritchard’s 5lbs claim, and he has since won again at Ayr to boost the form in good style. That rival is now the 12/1 Ante-Post favourite for the Jack Richards Novices’ Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival too, so our selection ran a big race when only narrowly denied.

We last saw PUSH THE BUTTON when running in the Grade 2 Noel Novices’ Chase over 2m3f at Ascot, and such was the strength of that contest, he was sent off a rather unfancied 12/1 shot. The winner Steel Ally (150) was extremely good in victory and looks a proper Grade 1 horse, but Mark Walford’s rising star did best of the rest in second place, staying on nicely to finish 3.75 lengths ahead of No Questions Asked (149), who has since won the Grade 2 Lightning Novices’ Chase at Windsor.

Despite running such a big race, the Handicapper left him on a mark of 136 for that effort, and only nudged him up 1lb to 137 this week presumably because of the Meetmebythesea form boost. Regardless, I still think he has plenty of improvement to come, and stepping up in trip to 2m4½f at Cheltenham on Saturday should be the key to start unlocking that potential.

JAGWAR – 13:15 CHELTENHAM – Handicap Chase (Premier) – 2m4½f – 1.25pts WIN

Best odds 2/1 available at time of publishing.

This doesn’t look a strong renewal of the Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase, and the one that immediately leaps out off the page is Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero’s JAGWAR, who ran an eye-catching race in the December Gold Cup on his seasonal return.

Last season this JP McManus charge was a serious improver over fences, and despite a drift in the market he won the opening Novices’ Handicap Chase on this card 12 months ago in impressive style – beating his more fancied stablemate Billytherealbigred (134) by an easy 2.5 lengths. That performance was on very similar soft ground to that he will encounter on Saturday, but he has done plenty of improving in the meantime, as on his next start he defied a 7lbs rise to win the Plate Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in probably even more impressive style.

Coming into this campaign it was widely the belief that he could win another race of its type despite a further 9lbs rise to a mark of 148, and that looked set to be in the Paddy Power at the November meeting. After a huge downpour it was decided not to run him off top weight however, and as such he belatedly returned to action in December with that third-place finish – where he flashed home to only be a neck behind Vincenzo (142), who boosted the form last weekend. Despite being nudged up 1lb, this looks his race with Boombawn shouldering top weight.

UNCLE BERT – 13:15 CHELTENHAM – Handicap Chase (Premier) – 2m4½f – 0.5pts EW

Best odds 10/1 available at time of publishing.

Away from the favourite I do think there are limited options, as I am not a big fan of Booster Bob contending with a 9lbs rise for winning a race which hasn’t worked out that strongly in the context of a race like this. Instead, the clear each/way play for me has to be UNCLE BERT for the Nigel and Willy Twiston-Davies team.

To me he had never shown any sort of form that would suggest that he could stay that 3m6½f trip in the Welsh Grand National over Christmas, where he was tailed off before falling as a tired horse. You only have to go one run back though to when he absolutely bolted up over 2m4f at Aintree, as he relished the soft ground when scoring by 9.5 lengths. The horse back in second that day was Richmond Lake (136), and he went extremely close in the Peter Marsh last weekend. Dropping back in trip to 2m4½f on the New Course at Cheltenham in testing ground should be an ideal setup for him though, so off a mark of 138 he surely has to have strong each/way claims.

FEET OF A DANCER – 13:30 DONCASTER – Yorkshire Rose Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 2) – 3m½f – 1.25pts WIN

Best odds 5/2 available at time of publishing.

Last season this Paul Nolan Mare was well supported for the Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, and she truly caught the eye when running on too late in the day to finish in fifth place. The each/way money was secured in terms of the extra places on offer in a race like that, but had she not got caught so far back in the field, she may well have been able to challenge for victory.

Since then she has exclusively been kept to black type races, firstly when ending the last campaign with a third place in the 2m4f Grade 2 Hurdle at Fairyhouse. On her return to action at Punchestown in November she seemingly returned in rude health however, as she went to the 2m2f Listed Mares Hurdle at Punchestown and readily recorded a 9-length success. That was a particularly impressive performance considering the question mark over her that day was how ready she would be, especially when running over a trip short of her optimum.

She was last seen at Leopardstown on the 29th December when running in the 2m4½f Grade 3 Mares Hurdle, and that day she faced the tough task of taking on Mares Hurdle joint favourite Wodhooh (154). FEET OF A DANCER was in receipt of 8lbs that day, but the Gordon Elliott Mare is a classy opponent who finds so much for pressure. At one point many thought that Sean O’Keeffe was going best out in front, but once her opponent hit top gear, she was unable to go on with her. It was still a top effort to finish 2.25 lengths behind that classy Mare however, and I think it gives her a level of form which is better than most of her opponents here.

The rain at Doncaster should help her chances, and the fact that she is in receipt of 2lbs from Jetara has to be a big positive.

KING’S THRESHOLD – 14:05 DONCASTER – Great Yorkshire Chase (Premier) – 3m – 0.5pts EW

Best odds 16/1 available at time of publishing.

This doesn’t look a great renewal of the Great Yorkshire Chase, and the field size of 10 is the smallest this race has seen for some time. Grand Geste is certainly an improver and I can see why he heads the market, but he went up 10lbs for winning a race at Haydock which hasn’t been working out at all.

Instead, at a much bigger race I thought KING’S THRESHOLD was worth chancing as he showed real improvement to me at Newbury last time out. This Emma Lavelle 9yo has been on an upward trajectory over fences for the past year, as following wind surgery he completed a quick double at Newbury in March off a mark of 127 when tipped up in this column.

This season he clearly needed the run when starting out at Cheltenham in October and sent off an unfancied 20/1 shot, but next time out at Newbury in the Sir Peter O’Sullevan Memorial he stuck to his task very gamely when a fast finishing fourth over a unique 2m6½f trip.

His performance when last seen over 3m2f at Newbury on the 29th December is what rates him as a true improver to me however, as I actually deserted him that day in favour of Annual Invictus – who set a frantic gallop out in front. Upon turning for home, he travelled up menacingly, and by the time they jumped the third last he was cantering all over his rivals. After popping the last he scooted away under hands and heels to score by an easy 3.25 lengths, in what can only be described as an impressive victory.

The handicapper has obviously had his say in raising him 6lbs in the weights, but to be honest considering the manner of his victory I think that is more than fair. What’s more is that the third placed Rivers Corner (127) has since bolted up in the Somerset National at Wincanton to boost the form. I’d imagine the reason why he hasn’t seen much support yet for the Great Yorkshire is down to the softening ground, but he won well on Soft at Warwick last season, and this 2f drop in trip should help to offset the more testing ground. It is also worth noting that Emma Lavelle has her string in good form again at the moment.